Lenawee Christian boys basketball beats Whiteford in opener

The Lenawee Christian boys basketball team's opening of the 2012-13 season was delayed a couple of days, but Thursday's performance was worth the wait.

The Cougars went into Whiteford and shut down a high-powered Bobcat offense, winning 58-48.

"I'll take it," said new Cougars coach Scott McKelvey. "You never know what you are going to get in the opener."

Cougar faithful didn't have to wait long to see what kind of team McKelvey – making his Lenawee Christian debut – has in store. If Thursday was any indication, it will be a group of scrappy ball players who play nose-to-nose defense, can keep opponents off the boards and can knock down a high percentage of their shots.

"Our goal is hold opponents to 40 points or less," McKelvey said. "I thought we did a good job of containing them. They hit a few more 3-pointers than I would like, but we did a good job of not allowing a lot of second-chance opportunities."

The Cougars and Bobcats were tied at 14 after the first quarter. Whiteford's returning All-Stater Colin Lake (25 points) hit a jumper to give the Bobcats the lead to start the second quarter, but consecutive buckets by Alex Nichols, Grant Hohlbein and Jalen Porter gave the Cougars a five-point lead with 5:11 left in the first half. The Bobcats cut into the lead several times throughout the rest of the game, but each time they did, LCS came up with a key rebound, a defensive stop and a basket at their end of the floor.

"He was the one who kept us going offensively in the first half," his coach said. "I figured they would come out and be aggressive in the second half on him, and I knew some other guys had to step up."

That other guy was Hohlbein. He scored eight points in the third quarter alone, extending Lenawee Christian's lead to 45-35 after three quarters. He had 15 for the game, along with eight rebounds.

The Bobcats weren't done yet, however. In the fourth quarter, Lake hit a layup, then a 3-pointer, followed by a Zach Perry 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Lake. The Lenawee Christian lead was cut to 51-45 with 3:45 left in the game.

The Cougars spread the floor, making the Bobcat defenders chase them, a move that led to a couple of easy baskets by Bobby Walter and Hohlbein, keeping the Cougars comfortably ahead.

McKelvey had the chance to scout the Bobcats earlier in the week when Whiteford scored 86 points in a win over Blissfield. Since Lenawee Christian's scheduled opener with Pittsford Monday was postponed, it meant Thursday was the first time the Cougars took the floor this season.

"We were very unselfish tonight, and we'll be even better than that as the season goes on," McKelvey said. "It was a more physical game than I expected, but I'm pleased with our effort. It's a good start."